In the lead-up to the Nov. 3, 2026, election, Boulder Reporting Lab asked each of the 19 mayoral and city council candidates to answer our questionnaire. Their answers are presented in a random order, but you can jump to each candidate’s responses, listed alphabetically below.
Mayoral candidates: Taishya Adams • Aaron Brockett • Jameson “Jamo” Goldstein • Aquiles La Grave
City council candidates: Benita Duran • Sam Fuqua • Jill Grano • Rachel Rose Isaacson • Ryan Jamieson • Tina Marquis • David Martus • Scott Rendleman • Jamillah Richmond • Ryan Schuchard • Lynn Segal • Tara Winer
Three candidates — Lisa Ann Jacobs, Fred Smith and Lee Gilbert — did not respond to BRL’s questionnaire.
Homelessness is not on Boulder’s ballot this year, as it has been in past elections, but it was one of the issues readers most wanted to hear candidates address.
Last year, the city set an ambitious goal to end unsheltered homelessness by 2028. It also adopted an updated strategy drafted by Clutch Consulting Group, often referred to as the Clutch Report. The strategy called for moving services away from Central Park, prioritizing people with connections to Boulder for services and increasing police enforcement of the camping ban.
Following the report, Boulder’s main shelter began limiting stays to 10 days for people without demonstrated ties to Boulder County. The city also began prioritizing people with long histories of homelessness in Boulder for subsidized housing.
For people with fewer documented connections to Boulder, the report called for expanding “diversion” efforts to help them get out of homelessness quickly without necessarily providing subsidized housing, like reconnecting someone with relatives or providing a bus ticket out of the city.
Several candidates said Boulder should continue implementing recommendations in the Clutch Report, including diversion and prioritizing services for people with local connections. Some called for more public reporting on outcomes, while others emphasized keeping public spaces safe and usable.
Candidates also called for more housing assistance, mental health and addiction treatment, and greater coordination with Boulder County, which provides significant funding for homelessness services.
The city tracks outcomes from its homelessness programs on a public dashboard, and reports progress across several measures. The city and the Metro Denver Homeless Initiative also track homelessness through the annual Point-in-Time Count, which counts people experiencing homelessness on a single night. This year, 381 people were counted as experiencing homelessness in Boulder, including 55 people sleeping outside.
The city reports that unsheltered homelessness has fallen since 2023. The number of homeless people countywide has also declined over that period, though it remains slightly above prepandemic levels.
Question: What is one approach Boulder has not tried, or has not tried at scale, to address homelessness that you would bring to the council, and how should the city pay for it?
Mayoral candidates
Taishya Adams
Taishya Adams
Age: 52
The City of Boulder is the only one with an overnight and day shelter in our county. We will need other cities in our county to expand services and support. As Mayor, I would continue to strengthen the coalition between Boulder County and area cities to braid funding, expand services, and co-create pathways for housing and workplace options.
Denver has used programs like Housing to Health to reduce jail time and arrests and increase health outcomes among unhoused populations. We know the evidence, we know the need, we need collective commitment to reduce individual AND family homelessness as our economy confronts unprecedented headwinds.
The funding model of the Housing to Health program involved not insignificant federal investment which is unlikely to be successful these days, but was a good example of a public/private partnership in practice otherwise. Further philanthropic outreach toward granting organizations and partnering non-profits can help on implementation.
The path to funding will not be a straight line, but the money exists out there and further increasing sales and use tax or property taxes cannot be the only answer to achieving the goal to reduce homelessness. I would also be open to revisiting Safe Outdoor Streets.
Jamo Goldstein
I would scale up coordinated behavioral health outreach for people living outside, with a direct path to treatment, shelter and housing. People with serious mental health or substance use needs should not have to navigate disconnected city and county systems on their own. The city should partner with Boulder County and service providers on mobile response and case management, then publish outcomes such as connections to care and stable housing.
I would seek county and existing program funds first and pursue the tiered excise tax on large rental portfolios described in my affordability plan as a dedicated local source. We also need focused enforcement against violence, theft and dangerous conduct in public spaces, paired with services rather than treating homelessness itself as a crime.
Aaron Brockett
Aaron Brockett
Age: 53
We have made huge progress in creating permanent supportive housing over the last few years, with over 200 units in city limits at present, and homelessness in the city has dropped almost 50% in the last few years.
But one area where we have an enormous gap is in providing substance use recovery support as well as mental health assistance. The city has helped create one sober living home in town, which is great, but there is a need for many more. I support major increases in substance abuse recovery beds.
The biggest challenge with that is how to fund them. The city definitely doesn’t have the resources to create them on our own, so I would look to partnering with private non-profits, Boulder County and the State of Colorado, as well as for grants from the federal government. While fiscal times are tough at all levels of government, we should look for all opportunities to address this critical need.
Aquiles La Grave
Aquiles La Grave
Age: 47
Boulder has been discussing homelessness for years. Yet, in all that time, we have failed to implement the plans that we’ve created. We need to prioritize the limited amount of money and resources we have towards those who are long-term members of our community and the most vulnerable. We need to continue to improve diversions, increase access to housing and treatment options, and provide clear guidelines for keeping public areas safe.
Execution is my primary concern. If council approves a plan, then the budget must clearly show how much it is going to cost, where we will get the funding to pay for it, who is responsible for implementing it, when we expect to complete it and how we will measure success.
I strongly believe in treating individuals who experience homelessness with respect. And, I believe that compassion also requires us to evaluate whether our interventions are actually working. I believe that Boulder is capable of accomplishing both.
City council candidates
Scott Rendleman
Scott Rendleman
Age: 58
I support expansion of the rapid exit / rapid resolution approach recommended by the 2025 Clutch Report. I would support dedicated staff working through All Roads Shelter to assist with identifying and transporting a person to a safe place to stay.
If someone has family or other support in another community, staff should help connect that person in that community. Staff should also work with veteran groups to assist members of the homeless community who have served in our armed forces. I would recommend funding these efforts through the city’s homelessness budget, along with funding from county and available state funding.
Jamillah Richmond
Jamillah Richmond
Age: 42
One of the best ways to combat homelessness is to keep people housed. There is no one perfect policy approach that can adequately reduce homelessness, because homelessness is a systemic challenge, requiring a systemic, holistic approach.
First, we need to reduce service duplication, as we have several organizations in Boulder doing similar work. For example, the Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA), provides services like emergency rental assistance, but so too does Boulder’s Eviction Prevention and Rental Assistance Services (EPRAS). The challenge is that both of these service providers can not provide services to everyone who needs them, only those who qualify, leaving a broad swathe of Boulderites unable to access the financial and supportive services they need at scale.
More than this, Boulder needs front-end interventions that help people remain housed and solvent before they fall into homelessness. Cash assistance programs, like Elevate Boulder, should be resurrected, acknowledging that Boulder faces a roughly $6.3M budget shortfall in 2027.
At the same time, front-end interventions cannot be decoupled from interventions to support people currently experiencing homelessness, which the city is pursuing with limited success. Those interventions cannot be pursued solely by the Boulder Police Department. BPD officers are not social workers.
Lynn Segal
Lynn Segal
Age: 49
The bottom falls out. The missing middle is obliterated by the wealth divide which is healthy for no one. Then the schools close to add insult to injury. Stop the bleeding. Turn off the tap before emptying the tub.
Rachel Rose Isaacson
Rachel Rose Isaacson
Age: 29
I would work with Boulder County and neighboring municipalities to establish a 24-hour, low-barrier shelter with coordinated services. Boulder has shelter beds, but people need a safe place to be during the day, a consistent point of contact, and practical help moving into housing. A regional facility could offer case management, behavioral health care, help obtaining identification and benefits, and connections to employment and permanent housing. It should serve people with different needs, including families and young adults, rather than assuming one shelter model works for everyone.
The city should not carry the full cost alone. I would pursue a countywide funding agreement that reflects where people are served, alongside state and federal grants, Medicaid reimbursement for eligible services, and partnerships with health systems and nonprofits. Before committing funds, I would ask for a clear operating budget, measurable outcomes, and a plan to coordinate with existing providers so we build on their work.
Shelter is only one step. We also need rental assistance, eviction prevention, and faster placement into available affordable homes. But a reliable, all-day place to connect people with services would fill a critical gap and make those other efforts more effective.
Ryan Jamieson
Ryan Jamieson
Age: 46
Homelessness is not a uniform problem with a simple solution and I wish we stopped implying that we’re just “one weird trick” away from solving it. The reason someone becomes homeless could be financial, addiction-related, due to mental health, or simply just having nowhere else to go after home became unsafe or untenable. The team at All Roads does an amazing job navigating the intertwined reasons someone ends up at their door, but they put in huge amounts of work, and that’s what’s really needed: lots of time and lots of effort.
I think we also need to be laser focused on the criminal elements that prey upon our homeless neighbors, selling them drugs and creating an even more unsafe environment for them. That requires tighter coordination between the city, county, and state criminal justice functions, from BPD to the county sheriff to our state courts. No one is served by keeping it easy to score fentanyl or meth on the street, and we can help the most vulnerable among us if we do a better job taking those drugs out of the equation.
Benita Duran
Benita Duran
Age: 65
I believe the city is on a logical path to address homelessness issues. Our funding blend of city, county, state and federal funds is complex along with support from individuals and foundations.
One suggestion I have is to provide more support for mental health services and rehabilitation services within the city. Utilize an existing facility owned by the county to start up a community-based rehabilitation and treatment center. Funding from outside the city resources would be needed. I don’t think this can be a city expense, but the city can bring partners to the table.
In addition to this I would support and participate in regular convenings with the faith community, nonprofit organizations serving the homeless, court, county and city to share information and to just be in regular communication about issues and services. It is a broad and extensive network. Convening and managing this process would be a low cost way to keep communication flowing between the city and these other players in supporting services to the homeless and could lead to improved services, programs and service entry, perhaps consolidating certain programs and improving cost efficiency for the city.
Jill Grano
Jill Grano
Age: 44
We often talk about homelessness and open drug use as though they are the same problem. They overlap, but losing your housing does not mean you have an addiction. We need different responses to different needs.
We already support a sober-living program serving up to 12 people. I would look at expanding that approach and adding other supported housing options for people with more complicated needs. It is often difficult to maintain sobriety when you are released back onto the street after rehab. People need somewhere stable to live and care teams who stay involved through that transition.
Boulder’s High Utilizer Initiative already coordinates care across agencies. I would build on that work, with persistent outreach to people who decline services and accountability for harmful behavior. I would also pursue shared city and county funding, including county behavioral-health tax dollars and eligible opioid-settlement funds. I would review existing spending for opportunities to fill these gaps.
I do not think Boulder should have to choose between compassion for people in crisis and safe, usable public spaces. We should measure whether people stay housed and experience fewer crises, then use those results to guide future decisions.
Dave Martus
Dave Martus
Age: 59
Boulder’s current strategy—services, shelter and treatment options, combined with enforcement against rough sleeping and service delivery in parks—is broadly working and should continue. What I would add is a more rigorous public performance dashboard. Residents should be able to see whether city spending is reducing chronic homelessness, connecting people to treatment and housing, lowering repeat calls for service, and keeping parks, trails, neighborhoods, and commercial areas safe and usable.
I would start by evaluating and redirecting existing homelessness spending toward the programs that produce the strongest measurable outcomes, rather than adding a new funding stream.
Sam Fuqua
Sam Fuqua
Age: 62
The city has highlighted a shortfall in the available housing for people transitioning out of shelters. We have tried but we are far short on the number of units we need. To scale up and meet the need, we need to tap available county behavioral health and housing funds and possibly Medicaid funds, if available, for housing navigation.
And is it possible to have a regional approach to this issue where all the cities and towns in our county share the responsibility? Can Boulder County fund shelters throughout the county?
Ryan Schuchard
Ryan Schuchard
Age: 49
The innovation Boulder needs is the discipline to stay with the fundamentals that are working.
I advocated for refreshing Boulder’s homelessness strategy, which we did through the Clutch report, the first update since 2017. It follows national best practices, including Housing First, coordinated entry that matches people to the right help, and shared data to track results. I also supported the new day center, which is moving services out of Central Park, and thanks to staff and providers, point-in-time counts show two straight years of reductions.
Priorities:
- Strengthen what’s working. Keep investing in proven tools, including permanent supportive housing and vouchers, diversion and reunification, the Building Home peer-support program, CARE non-police crisis response, Safe and Managed Public Spaces, and eviction prevention.
- Partner on pressures beyond city limits. Work with the county and state on forces that make staying housed harder, including ICE actions, hungry kids, older adults losing benefits, LGBTQ rights on the state ballot, and climate shocks.
- Protect proven funding. Direct every dollar to strategies with results, especially with federal cuts and another state shortfall of more than $1 billion expected in 2027. Report outcomes publicly.
Tina Marquis
Tina Marquis
Age: 55
The City Council unanimously adopted the Clutch report addressing homelessness over a year ago, and the city is steadily implementing the priorities in the plan. Just recently, the city recorded the lowest point-in-time count of unsheltered homeless since 2023, showing the strategy is working. I am supporting the 2027 budget allocations to continue this work, including the Downtown Ambassadors program, urban rangers and SAMPs, and implementing the Re-Imagine Policing plan.
Simultaneously, the city is working with our non-profit partners to better coordinate services for people experiencing homelessness so they spend less time being homeless in our city. The lack of mental health resources statewide contributes to this problem. I serve on our Inter-Governmental Affairs committee and our legislative platform specifically identifies mental health resources as a top priority for the county and state.
Tara Winer
Tara Winer
Age: 68
One approach Boulder hasn’t really tried at scale is supportive housing with services included, for people experiencing mental health or addiction challenges. Right now we have a voucher system: it gets someone an apartment, but for people who have mental health or addiction challenges, that alone often isn’t enough.
Without support on-site, those tenants can struggle to stay housed, and it can create quality-of-life problems for neighbors, especially families with kids nearby. Bluebird, our permanent supportive housing on 30th Street, does this differently. It has a support services team on-site to help residents work through mental health and addiction issues, rather than handing someone keys and hoping for the best. That model works better, and I want to bring more of it.
Regarding how to pay for it: mental health and addiction services are the county’s purview, not the city’s, and I have told a county commissioner that directly. I would push the county to put more of its behavioral health dollars into staffing supportive housing sites like this one, with the city contributing through our existing human services funding and by helping identify land or facilities.